


stars around my scars

by inlovewithimpossibility



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Autumn, Domestic Fluff, Episode: s06e04 Reversal, Episode: s06e05 Deathstroke Returns, F/M, Family Feels, Ice Cream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:03:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26916316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlovewithimpossibility/pseuds/inlovewithimpossibility
Summary: “Hmm, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company on this Friday afternoon?” Oliver questions softly as they pull apart, his hand cupping her cheek with a warm smile.“Curtis and I hit a block, came to the conclusion we need the weekend as a break before we start again. I wondered if maybe you too could take the final few hours and we could take William for ice cream after school?” Felicity explains with a small smile, raising an eyebrow.[a oneshot set between 6x04 and 6x05 wherein oliver, felicity, and william spend a sweet fall afternoon together]
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Comments: 41
Kudos: 190





	stars around my scars

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, this one is totally random but I hit a roadblock in my writing and needed to find these guys' voices again. I thought, what better way to go right back to my Arrow fic roots and write a S6 missing moment. It's super apt for me as well because this fic actually contains my 1 millionth word on AO3 (for the fics that are still up on this profile lol) so that's on obsession 😂
> 
> I hope you all enjoy! Feel free to let me know if you do by leaving a kudos and/or comment, they really do make my day! Love to all, I hope you're all doing well and keeping safe <3

The afternoon air grows crisper by the day, fall setting into the streets of Star City with its usual unrelenting chill. It’s Oliver’s favorite time of year, has been since he was a boy and he and Tommy would build huge leaf piles in their backyards to run into, but no more than this year.

He’s happy, unbelievingly so. For the first time in years, he feels utterly content. He thought he’d been happy two years ago but the discovery of William, the lie, and the resulting breakdown of his and Felicity’s relationship dampens the memory immensely.

Now, however? There’s nothing in the way of his relationship with Felicity, he’s finally coming to understand and bond with William, and without the pressure of his second job as Green Arrow, he’s finally able to fully devote himself to being the mayor. His approval ratings are skyrocketing and for the first time in forever, he has the time to spend at home with his _family._

It’s no wonder the change in season has him practically dancing through the streets.

It’s mid-afternoon on a Friday, which means Oliver is very much looking forward to spending the weekend with his girlfriend and son when he finally leaves in a few hours. Felicity, with his help, stopped Cayden James from destroying the entire internet (he still doesn’t really understand it) last night, which means they’ve hopefully got a few days before the next crisis sweeps its way through Star City. Oliver is very much looking forward to enjoying those days.

There’s a rap on his office door and Oliver’s face splits into a grin as he looks up and spots Felicity leaning against the doorframe. She’s dressed in a tight red skirt and a sweater; which Oliver is glad to see considering the way the temperature has dropped in the past few days. Her hair is loose around her head, which seems to be a far more common occurrence these days, and she smiles that smile at him, the one that makes him feel like the most special thing in the world.

He grins right back at her, standing to move to greet her, but Felicity moves first, sauntering over to him with a smirk and holding her hand out as if she’s clutching an invisible microphone.

“Mr. Queen, what do you say to the rumors that your reignited romance with former tech CEO, Miss Smoak, is having a negative effect on your governing?” She questions in a bad attempt at a southern accent, clearly attempting to mask her own voice.

“I don’t believe that you have a press pass, ma’am,” Oliver snorts, looking her up and down with a smirk. Felicity gasps, shrugging her shoulders before she sinks down into the chair in front of Oliver’s desk.

“I was told I have free access to the mayor’s office,” She counters truthfully with a smirk, giving up on the bad accent as she leans back into the seat with clear confidence. She’s seemingly at complete ease within his space and it makes Oliver smile to see, his mind immediately contrasting to the days she used to dance uncomfortably by the door at his QC office.

“And who passed that particular access level? That seems quite high,” Oliver plays along, slipping around the desk to sit on the front of it, the idea of sitting behind the desk and being so many meters away from her unfathomable.

“The mayor himself,” Felicity shrugs, crossing one leg over the other, and Oliver clocks the smirk that spreads across her face when his eyes cannot resist slipping down to take in the bare skin of her legs.

“You must be quite special,” Oliver comments as coyly as he can as his eyes slip up the silhouette of her body to land on her beautiful face, taking her in with utter amazement that they’re here and they’re okay.

“I’ve been told he holds me in high esteem,” Felicity counters with a shrug and Oliver scoffs, thinking how ridiculously futile that statement seems. ‘Holds her in high esteem’ are pretty words, but they’re nothing compared to the true way Oliver feels for Felicity. He loves her with his whole heart, he’d do anything for her, and he’s ready to dedicate his entire life to showing her just how true that is.

Done with her game, Oliver pushes off of the desk and steps forward, bending down next to her chair. Felicity shifts immediately to face him, reaching out to gently cup his face and Oliver grins, his own hand rising to tuck a strand of blonde hair behind her ear with a welcoming smile.

“Hi, you,” Felicity whispers before she leans forward, capturing his lips in a far sweeter greeting, both of them moving warmly against one another as they lean into the kiss in tandem. Kissing Felicity has always felt different, nothing like the fireworks he remembers Tommy talking about when he first kissed Katie Jackson in sixth grade. Kissing Felicity is like stoking a gentle fire, like how it feels to sit down in front of the warm flames after you’ve been caught in a rainstorm. It’s like coming home and feeling truly content, being surrounded by true love, and the warmth your family brings.

“Hmm, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company on this Friday afternoon?” Oliver questions softly as they pull apart, his hand cupping her cheek with a warm smile.

“Curtis and I hit a block, came to the conclusion we need the weekend as a break before we start again. I wondered if maybe you too could take the final few hours and we could take William for ice cream after school?” Felicity explains with a small smile, raising an eyebrow. Oliver smiles, knowing that Felicity never would’ve asked if she didn’t know that this week has been rather slow at the mayor’s office, and the idea of spending the rest of the afternoon with his girlfriend and son is truly heavenly to him.

“That sounds… that sounds idyllic. Give me a second to look everything over?” Oliver hums, looking back to his desk with a small sigh, and Felicity smiles.

“Of course,” She assures him, stroking her hand over his face before she sits back in her chair and pulls a tech magazine out of her bag as she waits. Oliver chuckles, smiling at the way she looks so natural within his workspace.

After a moment of just taking her in, Oliver shakes his head and walks back over to his desk. He spends the next few minutes making his way through the to-do list his assistant sent over this morning and he smiles as he realizes that he’s done all bar one.

The final thing on his list, however, is a meeting that it’s going to be difficult to move and Oliver feels his heart sink.

Just as he turns to Felicity to apologize, however, there’s a knock on the door and his assistant appears, looking a little sheepish as she glances apologetically at Felicity. “Mr. Queen?”

“Rebecca, what is it?” Oliver greets with a smile, smiling as Felicity slips her magazine back into her bag and turns to face Rebecca with a warm smile.

The girl is young, early twenties at the most, but she’s the most reliable assistant Oliver has had since joining the mayor’s office. He knows that she was interning when he first got the position but she’s made her way up and Oliver is so grateful for the support she gives him every day. He knows that no one will ever beat Felicity in terms of his ranking of the assistants he’s had but that’s really because his girlfriend was so vastly overqualified and well, he’s a little biased in her regard.

“Your meeting with the councilors has been pushed back to Monday, they send their regrets but say it couldn’t be avoided,” Rebecca tells him with a small frown but Oliver grins, looking over at Felicity excitedly.

“Oh. That works out pretty well actually. That was the only thing on my calendar this afternoon,” He explains to her and Felicity grins too, their eyes locking and both of their expressions softening that little bit.

“Clocking out early today, Sir?” Rebecca questions with a small chuckle, snapping the couple out of their small moment as she regards them warmly.

“You’re the boss of that. Is it possible?” Oliver asks her with a chuckle, watching as Rebecca frowns for a moment and produces her tablet. She frowns for a moment as she taps through a few things before she smiles and looks up at them.

“Yes, Sir. You’re right, that was your only commitment and we made it through all the paperwork this morning. So long as you’re here bright and early on Monday to look over the schematics for the new bay project, you’re free to go,” Rebecca tells him, her expression turning a little admonishing as she reminds him of the early start that they have on Monday. Oliver turns as he hears Felicity snort and he knows from her expression that she’s thinking of all the times when she was his EA that she had to admonish him for his lateness.

“I like her,” Felicity comments with a grin, inclining her head towards Rebecca and Oliver rolls his eyes affectionately.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Rebecca nods thankfully with a small blush and Felicity smiles, waving her off with a bat of her hand. 

“Please, Rebecca, we’ve been through this, it’s just Felicity,” She assures the young girl, smiling warmly at her in that way that seems to always make those around her comfortable. It’s one of Felicity’s uncanny abilities and one of the many reasons that Oliver knows she’s going to make an incredible CEO of her new company.

“Felicity, of course,” Rebecca nods in reply and Oliver smiles at her too, rounding the desk once again to lean against the front of it just next to his girlfriend.

“Thank you, Rebecca. Head home too, okay?” He tells her with a smile, reaching out for Felicity’s hand with a smile and Rebecca smiles at them, her eyes lingering on their enjoined hands for a moment before she nods.

“Of course, thank you, Sir. Have a good weekend,” The girl smiles, bouncing on her toes for a moment before she spins and heads back to her desk. Oliver chuckles for a moment before he turns to see Felicity regarding him with a gentle expression that has his stomach warming.

She really is the most beautiful thing in the world. The late afternoon sun is streaming through the windows of the glass wall behind his desk and illuminating her in the gorgeous light. Her hair dances in the sun, the different shades of blonde catching the light like the last shreds of summer that weave their way through the cool fall air.

“Do I have something on my face?” Felicity asks after a long moment, her free hand flying up to delicately trace over her features self-consciously but Oliver just smiles.

“No, you’re just gorgeous,” He tells her truthfully with a loving smile, squeezing the hand he’s holding gently. Felicity’s frown turns to a bashful smile as she rises from her seat and Oliver seizes the opportunity to tug her towards him.

“Flatterer. You’re not half bad yourself,” She responds with a teasing smirk, her body pressing up against his, her hand leaving his to join her other as it rubs over his chest.

“Oh yeah?” Oliver questions with a quirked eyebrow, his hands landing on the smooth dip of her waist, his thumbs reaching out to trace softly over her stomach.

“You do cut a handsome frame in this suit,” Felicity counters, that smirk still playing on her perfectly painted lips and Oliver watches the gentle way the sides lift with rapt interest.

“You bought me this tie,” Oliver reminds her proudly, knowing that the main reason he treasures the deep blue tie is because of the fact that it came from Felicity. It was a present for the launch of his mayoral campaign two years ago and he’s treasured it ever since, even through the painful times of their separation.

“I did and it looks even more handsome on you now than it did two years ago,” Felicity smiles up at him, one of her hands moving to fiddle with the knot of his tie in the way that she likes to. It’s one of her quirks that Oliver somehow forgot how much he loves in their year and a half apart but now that they’re back together, he cherishes every time she graces him with her touch.

“I’m not sure about that,” Oliver frowns, knowing that with everything he has going on at the moment, he has far less time to concentrate on his appearance than he did back then and it’s probably slipped a little since then. Felicity, however, snorts at his words, looking almost offended at the idea that he doesn’t think himself as attractive as he once was.

“Please, fatherhood suits you. You know all those PTA moms at William’s school gossip about the hot single dad who also happens to be the mayor,” Felicity chuckles and Oliver immediately frowns at her words.

“I am not a single dad,” He tells her, staring down at her almost angrily despite the fact that _she’s_ the one who confirms his very much not-single status.

“You know what I mean,” Felicity shakes her head, still smiling jokingly but Oliver knows Felicity and he knows that under her tendency to tease and joke, there are often real insecurities laying.

“Hey, you’re an important part of William’s life, just like you’re an important part of mine, _the_ most important part,” Oliver reassures her, his hands moving up to gently cup her face in his hands, tilting her head up so that he can stare into her beautiful blue eyes which have taken on that vulnerable expression Oliver so hates to see.

“William’s the most important part,” Felicity disagrees, her brow furrowing but Oliver just smiles, bending to press a kiss to where her skin has folded with her frown.

“You’re tied,” He whispers into her skin before he pulls back to find Felicity smiling warmly up at him.

“Okay,” She whispers softly and Oliver smiles, his thumb rubbing gently over the soft skin of her cheek.

“I love you,” He tells her truthfully, so glad to know he can do so now without barriers or fears of other obstacles. It’s just them now, no secrets or lies or issues threatening to tear them apart.

“I love you too, and I love William,” Felicity smiles up at him and Oliver’s smile only grows at that. The familiar feeling glows within his chest, the warm one he gets whenever he sees Felicity and William interacting.

“Good, because he loves you too,” Oliver assures her, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“He does?” Felicity questions, her face gaining that confused look as if what he’s said has really stumped her, and Oliver frowns, shaking his head with a small smile. It’s baffling to him that Felicity cannot see just how much William adores her, his boy basically lights up whenever she’s in the room… maybe there is something to be said for genetics and nature vs nurture.

“Felicity… he keeps asking when you’re moving in,” Oliver chuckles, thinking of the conversation he had with William just this morning on the topic and how it’s the last in a slew of similar such discussions.

“Oh,” Felicity comments simply and Oliver smiles at the way her eyes grow wide with obvious emotion. This has been a learning curve for them all and Oliver cannot overstate how grateful he is that Felicity has embraced everything that comes with having William in their lives.

“He adores you. Like father, like son,” Oliver grins at her, his eyes sparkling with love and affection that he knows is unrelenting.

“Hmm,” Felicity smiles contently, rising onto her toes to press a kiss to his lips once more. Oliver groans, leaning into the kiss and wrapping his arms fully around her waist to tug her closer. They’re so wrapped us in each other, neither of unable to resist the pull of the other, that they don’t even notice the sound of the door opening until the young intern squeaks loudly, dropping the file he’s holding on the floor. 

“Whoops! Sorry, Mr. Mayor!” The young man squeaks, scrambling everything together and rushing out of the room. Oliver and Felicity separate with laughter, clinging to each other as they both dissolve into uncontrollable giggles.

“We should go,” Felicity tells him when she finally gets her breath back, grinning up at him like they’re teenagers who have just been caught making out in a broom closet. Oliver chuckles too, a familiar feeling sweeping through his bones and he grins down at her, reaching to entwine their hands.

“Agreed.”

“We’ve got a little while until William’s AV Club lets out, want to walk?” Felicity suggests as he leads her over to the door, stopping briefly to allow her to swoop her bag up off the floor. He takes it from her, slipping the bright teal bag onto his own shoulder as they make their way to the elevator.

“I’d love to,” He nods with a warm smile, knowing the route will lead them through the park and down the river to William’s school which is near the bay. He thinks that maybe they can get ice cream at that spot they found a few months ago that William adores just by the water.

They make their way through the main area of Town Hall, waving at those who bid them goodbye which is almost everyone they pass. It’s so nice to pack up early and head out for the afternoon and Oliver feels like the grin on his face will last for the entire weekend as they head down the steps of Town Hall and across the street to Star City’s main park.

As they stroll leisurely through the green area, Felicity tells Oliver all about her and Curtis’ road bump with their start-up and how she thinks she already has a way to work around it. Oliver finds himself merely smiling down at her, amazed as always just to listen to the way her mind works. She’s so remarkably intelligent and Oliver is so proud to even listen to half the things her brain comes up with. He knows that she’s going to kill it in the tech industry and that within at least a year, they’ll be up and running and taking over the world… responsibly, of course. 

Their walk is slow enough that by the time they’ve made it through the park and down the river to come to a stop outside of William’s school, it’s time for his club to let out. The school is practically deserted at this time, with none of the usual busy carpool lane that dominates the road at the usual pickup time. Due to the later hour, there are just a few cars lingering by the front steps, and Oliver and Felicity come to stop by the large pillars at the bottom of them. Oliver leans against the stone finishing and Felicity smiles, looping her arms around his waist to curl against him as the fall breeze begins to pick up with the evening air.

A few moments later, the doors to the school open and a few kids burst out, heading down to the cars that are parked along the road. Oliver texted both Raisa and William as they left Town Hall so the teenager knows that he’s looking for them and not Raisa but it takes him a while to spot them as he exits the building because he’s busying talking to a couple of friends.

One of them Oliver recognizes to be Zoe, dressed in her outfit for Dance Club which he knows runs at the same time as AV because Raisa has taken Zoe home a few times in the past when Rene couldn’t get to the school due to a situation at the mayor’s office or the bunker. The other Oliver doesn’t know and he can tell from the surprised smile on Felicity’s face that she doesn’t either.

“Oh! I wonder if that’s Jackson,” Felicity whispers to Oliver as they watch the way Zoe bids the two boys goodbye and skips down the steps, stopping briefly to greet Oliver and Felicity before she climbs into what Oliver now recognizes as Rene’s car.

“Jackson as in Jackson he cannot stop talking about? That Jackson?” Oliver asks, looking down at his girlfriend with a raised eyebrow.

William hasn’t exactly had the easiest time settling into middle school. Zoe has been one of his only friends for a long while until a couple of weeks ago, William came home and would not stop talking about his AV Club friend, Jackson. They cannot get through a conversation about school without the thirteen-year-old mentioning his new friend and honestly, it’s extremely adorable. Oliver’s not sure if there’s something more there and if there is, he’s not entirely sure if William even recognizes what that is, but Oliver’s just glad that Jackson makes his son so happy.

“It would make sense,” Felicity counters with a shrug, standing up properly so that they’re stood with Oliver’s arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist as William bids the boy goodbye and heads over to them.

“Hi, Oliver! Hi, Fliss!” William greets happily and Oliver feels his heart glow at the look of pure joy on his son’s face as he takes them in. This is all he’s wanted since William came to live with him, to see him settling in and enjoying himself, learning to cope with all the horror that he’s seen. He knows that William still has a long way to go, the night terrors that plague him are lessening but are still horrific and frequent, and his therapist says that they’re getting to the root of things better within his sessions. The techniques that he’s bringing home from those sessions seem to be helping too and whilst it’s not picture-perfect, William really is a completely different boy than he was a few months ago. There’s joy in his face and voice when he speaks now and he speaks of the future with a bright tone, rather than the fearful one he used to use.

Oliver is just so very proud of him.

“Hey, buddy. Good day?” Oliver smiles, reaching out to affectionately greet him with a pat on the shoulder.

“Yeah, it was good! Jackson and I managed to set up the new speaker system in the gym during AV Club!” William explains with a spring in his step, looping his hands through the strings of his backpack and Oliver smiles warmly at him.

“That was Jackson?” Felicity questions, bending to look around William so that she can see the figure of the retreating boy. Oliver sends her an admonishing look that softens into a smile when Felicity responds with a knowing glance of her own.

“Yeah, he’s really cool. His mom made him his backpack, isn’t that cool?” William grins, looking between the two of them hopefully, and Oliver smiles. It seems pretty clear to him that William might just have a little crush on this Jackson boy and after everything he’s been through, something so simple as a teenage crush fills him with so much joy.

“That is cool,” Oliver confirms, tugging Felicity a little closer as they begin to head down the sidewalk towards the bay. The two of them share a smile as William falls into step beside them.

“What kind of speaker system was it, Will?” Felicity questions with genuine interest and the two of them launch into a conversation about technology that Oliver doesn’t understand a word of. It’s been an interesting discovery to understand the way in which William is almost as obsessed with computers and tech as Felicity is and it leads to a lot of situations where Oliver has to step back from conversations that he doesn’t understand a single sentence of, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. To see Felicity and William bonding… it’s worth every bit of confusion that crosses his brain.

Their conversation carries them down to the bay, making their way through the city which has put on its glorious fall coat. It’s Oliver’s favorite time of the year in the city, he just loves all the colors that surround you whenever you make your way down the street and the view overlooking the bay is extraordinary this time of year. He loves it and to get to experience it with his girlfriend and son is indescribably amazing.

“We’re getting ice cream? Yes! Best day ever!” William immediately grins when they reach the front of the ice cream shop and stop. It’s funny how at thirteen something as simple as ice cream can still delight him so much but Oliver is more than grateful for it. Both Oliver and Felicity chuckle as they lead William inside and Oliver grins at the way William and Felicity’s eyes simultaneously widen at the sight of all the ice cream before them.

They really are two peas in a pod, those two.

“What do you want?” Oliver asks with a warm smile as he approaches the two of them where they’re stood with their noses up against the glass like toddlers as they take in the vast variety of flavors the parlor offers.

“Can we get a sundae? Fliss and I will share. Please, Oliver!” William pleads, turning to look at Oliver with big, wide eyes that Oliver has struggled to say no to ever since he first laid sight on them.

“You can have a sundae, but you’re not sharing. Felicity might actually kill you if you try to eat too much of her mint chip,” Oliver chuckles, smiling at the way William whoops in excitement, placing his order of a hot fudge chocolate ice cream sundae to the teenager working behind the counter.

Felicity, however, turns to look at Oliver with a pout, narrowing her eyes, “Just because I won’t share with you doesn’t mean I won’t share,” She tells him and Oliver chuckles, rolling his eyes affectionately.

“Oh, I see how it is,” He counters with a smirk, shaking his head affectionately at her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as she turns to place her order with the server. She goes with pumpkin pie ice cream, claiming to Oliver and the server that she needs to try the seasonal flavors, as well as a coffee, and proceeds to tease Oliver when he just orders an americano, content to watch William and Felicity enjoy their ice cream.

And enjoy they do.

They take a table outside overlooking the bay and they spend an hour there, enjoying the view of the bay and each other’s company. Oliver sighs contently, taking both of them in as Felicity and William chat happily about their weeks. There’s still a lot that he knows they’ve got to come and the fall ice cream flavors remind him of taking Thea when she was little, which in turn reminds him that she’s still asleep in a coma at the hospital. He knows they’re doing all they can, however, and he knows that when she does wake up, she’ll be glad to see that Oliver’s taken the time to finally sort things out with Felicity and for them to make their way towards becoming a proper family.

Because Oliver knows this is it as he watches Felicity laugh at a cheesy joke William overhead at school. He knows that for years to come, he’s going to spending it with these two (and hopefully a few more kids down the line). He knows that this is his family right here and he cannot overstate how grateful he is that he gets to spend his life with such an incredible woman and boy. He loves them both so much and he knows that every moment he gets to spend with them is one to be treasured.


End file.
